Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)(76)

"That's not why I called you, Blake." Holiday pulled her hand back. Her red hair hung loose and stood out against the pale yellow sundress that she wore. "I just want to find Hannah."

"But she's not letting him touch her," Kylie said. "Let's move before she spots us."

Too late.

Holiday looked up, and her eyes widened at the sight of them standing outside the glass door.

"You got a new plan?" Burnett asked. "Because I'm fresh out of ideas, and she looks pissed."

Kylie almost smiled at the fear she heard in the big, bad vampire's voice. "Don't tell her anything until we get her back to camp," Kylie said quickly.

The door swung open as Holiday stepped out. She looked at Burnett, then Kylie. "What's wrong?"

"I needed to talk to you," Kylie said, improvising.

"About what?" When no one answered, Holiday spoke up again. "What happened?"

Burnett started to answer. Afraid he might tell Holiday the truth, Kylie blurted out, "I happened." She pointed to her forehead.

Holiday tightened her brows and her eyes widened. "Oh, my."

The bell from the restaurant doors chimed behind them and Blake walked out. He stopped beside Holiday. "Is everything okay?" He cut his gaze to Burnett.

Burnett, eyes ablaze, pulled Holiday to his side.

"That depends," said Burnett, "on how quickly you get your ass away from here."

* * *

Thankfully, Blake had simply offered Holiday a good-bye nod and left without incident.

Kylie couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was suspicious that they knew the truth. Burnett seemed to share the same thought when he watched Blake walk away. The low growl coming from his chest left no question that Burnett planned on seeing the man again. And probably sooner than later.

Burnett and Kylie rode back with Holiday. Holiday peppered Kylie with questions as she drove. "When did you turn into a vampire? Have you experienced any pain? Have your powers changed?" Then Burnett started in with his line-up of questions about Kylie's newly acquired pattern.

Kylie answered as vaguely as she could, not wanting to talk about her grandfather. She accepted she'd have to come clean, eventually, but considering what other news she had to give Holiday, Kylie didn't want to add anything else for the camp leader to worry about just yet.

Back in the office, Holiday tossed her purse on the sofa and looked at both Burnett and Kylie with her "tell the truth or die" stare. Kylie wondered if her mom hadn't taught it to Holiday, because it sure did look familiar.

"Now, explain to me what's really going on," Holiday snapped. "I can sense there's more."

Kylie bit down on her lip. Burnett took a step forward. He squared his shoulders, empathy filling his eyes. He took a deep, apparently heartfelt breath and looked at Kylie. She nodded at him as if giving him the lead. He looked back at Holiday and, in a deep voice, said, "Kylie has something to tell you."

Kylie's mouth fell open and right then she knew it was official: Men sucked at verbal communication, especially where anything emotional was concerned.

Holiday's gaze shot back to Kylie, and her chest swelled with grief. Grief she knew Holiday was going to feel. An emotion Kylie had personally visited and revisited too often lately. Losing Nana, losing her stepfather-even if it wasn't in death, it still felt that way-losing her real father, Daniel, because his visits had been cut off. Then there was Ellie. Kylie had even found herself grieving over Red, aka Roberto.

Inhaling, Kylie motioned for Holiday to sit down. The camp leader studied Kylie's face and probably read every one of her emotions. Stepping to her desk, she sank in the chair. The cushions sighed from her weight. It seemed to be the only noise in the room.

"What is it?" Holiday asked again.

Emotion lumped in Kylie's throat. "I didn't tell you because you told me that ... you wouldn't want to know. The whole live for today and tomorrow speech. Because at first I thought it was you."

Holiday leaned forward, gripping the side of her desk. "I don't understand."

"The face of the spirit that I told you I recognized. I thought it was you. But it wasn't ... you."

Holiday's green eyes filled with tears and Kylie knew that Holiday had already put the pieces together. Burnett, much to his credit, moved behind her and tenderly pressed a hand on her shoulder.

"She's dead?" Holiday's next breath shuddered as she pulled it into her lungs. Tears slipped from her lashes and leaked onto her cheeks. "Why ... didn't she come to me?"

Kylie wiped her own wet cheeks. "I think because she was ashamed of what happened."

"She told you about ... that?"

"Yeah." Kylie's voice barely came out as a whisper. Burnett looked at her as if wondering what all she hadn't told him.

Grief filled the room. "What happened?" Holiday finally asked. "Was she mountain climbing? I told her it was dangerous to go alone."

Kylie shook her head. "It wasn't an accident."

Anger tightened Holiday's expression. "She was killed? By whom?"

"We don't know for sure." Burnett sat down on the edge of Holiday's desk. The way he looked at the camp leader warmed Kylie's heart. He cared. She just hoped this whole Blake issue didn't push them farther apart.